When it comes to finding a Canadian bulk bag company, we’d love nothing more than to be your go-to source…but we know you have other options. Most people who call us about bulk totes, also called FIBC totes, have already been shopping. They may even have a price from somewhere else, and they want to know how we can stack up.
A manufacturer, a regional distributor, and one of the big industrial catalogs will all provide quotes for similar bags with three very different prices. Each of those numbers is right for a different kind of buyer. And, price is only part of it anyway. In our experience, the buyers who end up unhappy with their bulk bags bought from a perfectly decent supplier and ordered the wrong bag. Below are some thoughts on who sells bulk bags in Canada, and what I would pin down before you place your order.
What People Mean When They Say “Bulk Bag”
Three products share the title when it comes to bulk bags.
The commercial term, FIBC totes are the one-ton woven polypropylene containers with lift loops at the corners, able to store large quantities of flowable product and moved on a pallet or hung beneath forklift forks. Our FIBC explainer walks through the four electrostatic types, and this baffles blog post covers what keeps a filled tote square on the pallet.
Mesh bulk bags do a similar job in ventilated fabric, for products that needs air moving through it.
Of course, searching for totes online will often return small handbags: the totes you use at the grocery store.
In addition, searching online for bulk bags might also return results for “bags in bulk” — which we do too. Polywoven and grain bags are generally smaller, at the 25 to 50 kg end, where a pallet of smaller sacks beats a large FIBC tote.
Three Kinds of Bulk Bag Supplier in Canada
Manufacturers
Companies running their own looms and sewing lines. You get the best unit price once you’re buying bulk bags by the container, but that’s along with the longest lead times and the highest minimums. If your order is in the thousands of bags, you might start here.
Regional stocking distributors
Inventory on a floor somewhere with smaller order sizes, same-week shipping, and somebody who answers the phone when someone needs help. This is where we operate as a wholesale bag company in Canada. We do the small-to mid-size orders that large tote bag manufacturers don’t want to deal with.
National industrial catalogs
Uline, Acklands-Grainger, and the rest of the big catalogs. Easy to order from, and on most Canadian orders the bags are traveling up from a U.S. distribution center. That sends a fair number of buyers looking elsewhere, particularly these days of tariff warfare. Some want to avoid the brokerage fees and duty that come with a border crossing, and some would rather their money stayed in the country. We are the Canadian option for both, and we’ve laid out the full case on Canadian alternatives to Uline in the past.
Canadian Bulk Bag Suppliers Worth Knowing
| Supplier | Base | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| BWI-ACME Enterprises | Calgary, AB | FIBC manufacturing and agricultural packaging |
| Bagwell Supply | Richmond, BC and Mississauga, ON | FIBC and industrial bags since 1997 |
| Lloyd Bag Company | Chatham, ON | Woven poly and bulk bags, Ontario distribution |
| Komol Plastics | Port Coquitlam, BC | Poly bags, also carries FIBC |
| Bag Supplies Canada | Ontario | Mesh bags, concentrated in firewood |
| St. Boniface Bag Co. | Winnipeg, MB | Stocked baffled totes, bagging Canada since 1952 |
What to Ask Before You Order Bulk Bags
How much weight will the bulk bag hold?
Ask for the safe working load and the safety factor. ISO 21898 establishes three classes: single-trip bags tested to five times the safe working load, standard-duty reusable to six times, and heavy-duty reusable to eight times. The standard also calls for the class and the factor to be printed on a label that remains readable once the bag is full, so you can check it on a bag sitting in your own yard. Capacity on a standard tote is from 500 kg to 2,000 kg, with 1,000 kg the common spec.
Do I need baffles on a FIBC tote, or will a standard bag do?
Baffles are panels sewn into the inside corners that hold a bag square as it fills. A baffled FIBC can hold 15 to 30 percent more product in the same floor space (generally a pallet) and costs roughly 15 to 25 percent more. Coarse material that does not pour can get hung up on the baffles and leave the corners half empty, which costs you the stability you paid for.
How does the bulk bag fill, and how does it empty?
Plenty of buyers sort this out after a tote is already hanging over a hopper. Our bag types guide covers the four most common body shapes of FIBC totes: duffel top, spout top, flat bottom, or discharge spout.
Does the tote need a liner or a UV rating?
A coated bag or a polyethylene liner keeps moisture and fine powder where they belong. UV rating is the one to check if your bags will be outdoors much.
What is the minimum order on bulk bags, and how long is the lead time?
This is where the three kinds of supplier separate from each other. A ten-week lead time on seed totes is common for manufacturers, while we can have bags out the door in 24-48 hours. Ask about freight while you’re at it, and whether you can pick the order up yourself.
Looking for Bulk Bag Suppliers Near You?
If you’re looking to buy Canadian, St. Boniface Bag Co. has been selling bags of all shapes and sizes from Winnipeg since 1952. We keep standard bulk totes and bags with baffles in 20-count packages and source other sizes and configurations on request. We ship across Canada and into the U.S., and Manitoba customers are welcome to pick up at our Winnipeg warehouse.
Give us a call or get in touch through our website to learn more!